It is a problem in the field of wireless communications to manage the wireless services provided by an aircraft network to passengers who are located in the aircraft. The aircraft network serves a plurality of subscribers, yet has a link to the ground-based network via a wide bandwidth Air-To-Ground link that concurrently serves multiple individual subscribers. Each subscriber is associated with a one-to-one communication connection, which comprises a channel on the aircraft wireless network which is connected via an Air-To-Ground link to the ground-based network, to access the desired communication services.
When wireless subscribers enter the non-terrestrial communication network (that is, they fly in an aircraft as passengers), they encounter a unique environment that traditionally has been disconnected from the terrestrial cellular network, where the wireless network of the aircraft interfaces the subscriber (also termed “passenger” herein) to various services and content. The aircraft wireless network, therefore, can function as a content filter or can create unique types of content that are directed to the individual passengers who are onboard the aircraft. However, although the aircraft network serves a plurality of passengers, it has a link to the ground-based Access Network via a wide bandwidth radio frequency connection.
It is a problem to provide the passengers with quality communications when network-based or aircraft-based congestion occurs due to high bandwidth applications (e.g., http video downloads) being executed by passengers. High bandwidth applications disrupt near real time applications of other passengers and the overall usability of the Air-To-Ground communication service (Internet browsing, email connectivity, Virtual Private Network heartbeat, etc.). Volume Controls can help reduce high usage at relatively larger time scales (15 minutes), but these are largely ineffective with large subscriber count flights where the systemic congestion prevents volume control activation. In addition, presently available controls penalize the passenger instead of addressing the source of the problem, which is controlling the bandwidth intensive application. Network-based systems have difficulty in reliably identifying bandwidth intensive applications (SCE) and are always in a “catch up mode.” Network controls and rate limits are also static and have no measure of current Air-To-Ground performance, since these controls are based on averages. Thus, there is a need to provide reliable communications for critical resources thereby to provide a quality user experience.